These Fangs of Mine
by Turn-about-the-sun
Summary: Angela is a normal girl in a normal high school... Or a somewhat normal girl in a San Francisco high school. That is, until Charlie shows up and turns her world upside down. READ!
1. Chapter 1

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_Author's Note: This is an EDITED VERSION of Chapter One. It's better, I think. I want people off my case about it being like Twilight. Just wait, you'll see._

Hey Guys. I know I've been like, really terrible about updating. Like, REALLY terrible. I'm working on it, I promise. I'm just having SUPER HUGE...dramatic pause WRITER'S BLOCK! NOOOOOOOOO!! But for now, I have another piece for you. This is actually a piece of my own, as in not actually a category of ACTUAL fanfiction...Well, you'll have to see. It will take a while to update because I'm trying to do this by chapter and they're pretty long and I'm sick, but when I get better, I'll have TONS of homework to catch up on and then the other fanfictions and I want to get this perfect, because I'm actually going to publish this- By the way, I own all these spiffilicious characters and the plot, so back off- and I wanted to know what the world thinks of my work. Oh, and I'll probably be going back and editing things to make it exactly what I want. It's the longest I've ever worked on a story and I'm really proud of it.

**I'm so excited, aren't you? Now enough of my chattering. READ AND REVIEW! NOW! READ!!**

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Chapter One

Sunlight shone dimly over the grey streets of San Francisco, causing them to look almost dirtier than before. Angela Daniels shaded her eyes against it from the passenger seat of her Mother's red Mustang. The thermometer over their heads read 65.3˚. Not bad for mid-March. But there was still a lot of fog hanging menacingly from the tall buildings.

After a moment, Angela caught her reflection in the side-view mirror. Not really author material in her opinion. No distinguished-looking glasses or smatter of ink on her nose. Just plain old Angela Daniels, born and raised in the vast expanses of San Francisco, with straight brown hair, green eyes, and no father. Of course, it was probably better she didn't look like the writer she was. After all, if she were found out, public school would be out of the question. And she would much rather endure her classes than sit around at home all day.

Angela sighed and turned to look at her mother as the traffic light turned green. Angela's mother was a pleasant woman. Her silky black curls framed her soft, round face, making her own vibrant emerald eyes stand out. She was a surgeon who worked mostly on heart transplants. People always seemed to find it so shocking for one reason or another. But with her smarts and beauty, she made Angela feel drab next to her. Not to say that Angela was unattractive. She just couldn't compete with her mother's beauty.

"Thanks for driving me while my car's in the shop." Angela sighed as she remembered her sleek new Ferrari, sitting in the garage.

"It's quite all right. After all, I only have a few months left with you before you leave. Already a senior." She turned, looking straight out the front window, still mumbling, "Already a senior."

Angela laid a hand on her mother's shoulder.

"I know Mom. But I'm not going too far. Just to Santa Cruz." Angela's mother sighed, and then nodded. They came to another red light. The streets around them were already strewn with people. Angela watched them as they walked by. A short, busty woman was yelling at her husband, who looked as though he had been crushed in one of those junkyard car-squishing machines. Walking behind them, giggling quietly, were three identical red-headed women who wore Jimmy Choos and clutched their Prada handbags closely to them, just in case. Not too far behind them were a man and woman, walking slowly, their fingers entwined like shoelaces. Angela sighed and sat back in her seat, looking away as her mother took her foot off the brake.

Finally, Angela's school, Brook Mills High, came into view. Angela's mother pulled up and Angela stepped out of the car, waving as she headed for the entrance. Brook Mills High School was a tall, three story school complete with pool and small field. It was relatively clean, other than the occasional graffiti. The janitor was very good at his craft. Rarely did a person decide that it would be fun to litter. Stepping into the non-grey shade, Angela gratefully entered the main building. Once her eyes adjusted, she caught sight of her best friend, Kerra Anderson, rummaging through her locker.

Kerra was a tall, leggy blonde with blue eyes and a large, sparkling smile. Angela had met her in the 2nd grade, and they were a little rocky at first, both demanding the attention of their fellow classmates. But, eventually, once they had set their similarities aside, they became closer than bark on a tree. After that, they had fought only once, and it was so insignificant that neither remembered who had started it and what it was about. Smiling, Angela made a bee-line for her and tapped her shoulder. Kerra whipped around.

"Oh! There you are, good! I've been looking for you." Kerra pulled a copy of An Angel's Arms by October Evans out of her bag.

"I just bought it. Everyone's reading it! Here, read the back." Angela took the book from Kerra and forced her eyes to move back and forth across the glossy back cover. She already knew what it said. After all, she had written it.

When Jean Sparks finds herself in a tragic car accident, she is surprised to find that she is unmarked. While she sits at her parents bedsides, a strangely familiar boy approaches. She could swear she had seen him before, but when and where, she is unsure. This story, which tells of love, betrayal, family and thieves, mixes comedy and tears, blending together deliciously to form this book, An Angel's Arms.

Following this was a list of quotes from critics. Angela handed the book back to Kerra, smiling.

"It sounds good," she said. Kerra shut her locker and began walking, Angela at her side.

"Good? That's all? It's fantastic! I would kill to be this kind of writer. She's so talented…" Angela's thoughts cut off Kerra's monologue. She thinks it's fantastic…She thinks I'm talented…

"Ang? Are you listening to me?" Angela shook herself.

"Yes. Just thinking, that's all. Maybe I'll buy a copy." Kerra jumped up and down in excitement.

"Yeah, you totally should! Then we could--" Angela didn't hear the rest. As she was listening to Kerra talk, she had forgotten that she was walking and ended up accidentally bumping her books into the person behind her, sending them flying.

"Oh no," she said, dropping to her knees. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" she stopped as she reached for her most recent English novel. The person she had run into was crouching down, holding the book out to her. It was a boy, probably 17, give or take a year or so. He was tall, about three, maybe four inches taller than her 5'7", and he was… beautiful. His skin was a medium shade of tan and his hair, a blonde so dark it was almost brown, was artfully tousled and hung in his eyes. But Angela only vaguely noticed this. She was too busy staring at his eyes, which were a shocking, startling baby blue. But that wasn't all. His eyes took on a strange, metallic shine, most definitely not something you saw everyday. It's not something you saw ever, for that matter. He was by far the most gorgeous boy she had ever seen. Angela took the book from the boy's outstretched hand, nodding.

"Th-thank you," Angela stuttered.

"Don't mention it. Hamlet, eh? That's a good one."

"Yeah, though I must say that Hamlet probably doesn't- or didn't- feel the same way." The boy smiled, a warm, crooked smile that made Angela's cheeks flush.

"Stand up already!" Kerra said impatiently. Angela, cheeks still burning, stood up, the boy following her lead. Meanwhile, Kerra continued talking.

"So, are you new around here? I've never seen you before."

"Uhm, yes I am new. Actually, I was wondering if you could help me." He pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket. "Class 105. Any idea where that is?" Kerra opened her mouth to answer, but Angela cut her off.

"It's down the hall, fifthird to your right. You can't miss it."

"Thanks," the boy gave his crooked pearly white half-smile again. To avoid an oncoming awkward moment, Angela blurted, "I'm Angela and this is Kerra."

"I'm Charlie."

"Well Charlie, are their any other classes you need help finding?" Kerra said, cutting in again.

It took less than about five minutes to figure out where all of Charlie's classes were. He had a good memory. He had some of the same classes Angela and Kerra took, just during different hours. All of them were honors and AP classes. Angela almost jumped for joy when she saw his fifth period. His AP English was the same period and class as hers. Fifth was last for Angela, and now Charlie, as well. Unfortunately, Kerra had put off PE for a year and didn't get out till sixth. She pouted for a full minute while Angela pointed out the rest of Charlie's classes for him. Finally, she handed the schedule back saying, "Here you are, and welcome to Brook Mills."

"Great. Thanks again."

"No Problem." Just then, the one minute bell rang. Charlie sighed, then comp-osed his face into one of concentration.

"Well," he said, "here goes nothing." He walked off. Angela waved, but he was already gone.

As soon as Physics was over, Kerra dragged Angela out of the classroom to find Charlie. They arrived as he was leaving the confines of Mrs. Berg's cluttered Calculus classroom and Kerra boldly stepped up to him, saying, "Hey, Charlie! We were going to go hang out with some friends. Wanna come with?" Without even waiting for an answer, she grabbed his wrist and pulled the two of them out to the quad where the gang was waiting.

The gang consisted of 6 people, not including Angela and Kerra; Brandon, Kye, Jezebel, Gabrielle, Jade, and Nayan. Brandon's brown hair fell around his eyes, which were a creamy, hazel color. In his lap, much to the dislike of the school staff sat his girlfriend Jezebel. Just below them, on the bench, were Kye, Gabrielle, and Jade. Kye was a bubbly soul. His blonde hair was sticking up with gel, as per usual, making his green eyes sparkle against his tan skin. Gabrielle sat next to Jade, and both were talking animatedly.

It was Nayan who first noticed the small party of three approaching. He turned around and smiled a smile that lit up his usually blank face. His russet skin smoothed across his face, his amber eyes twinkling.

"There they are." His smile vanished, making his face blank again as Jade began talking to him. She wasn't exactly a huge fan of Kerra. But two seats away, Kye jumped up and grabbed Kerra boldly around the waist, pulling her into a hug that made Kerra not only giggle, but gasp. Kye and Kerra had also been going out for a while, and Kye wasn't bothered by public displays of affection. In fact, he practically lived off of it. Ignoring Kye's whispered, "I missed you," to his girlfriend, Angela looked back at Charlie, muttering, "Ready? When you shake hands with Kye- yes, he will want to shake hands, he's too polite- watch his grip. It's gotten nasty a few times." Charlie nodded, making a mental note.

"Okay," he said. "Let's go." Angela smiled and took his hand, leading him over to the rest of the group. Everyone stopped talking to look up at her. Nayan smiled again and said, "Hello Ang, who's the stiff?"

"Oh, be nice. This is Charlie. He's new. Charlie, this is—"

"WAIT!" Kerra cut in. "I wanna do it!" Angela rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Oh, all right," she said, sitting down by Nayan. Kerra cleared her throat, then said, "This is Brandon and Jezebel, Gabrielle, Jade," she said this through clenched teeth, "and this here, is Kye." Charlie nodded politely to each person, and shook Kye's hand with an unreadable expression. He didn't seem to be in pain though, which was a good sign.

Just then, someone tapped Angela's shoulder, making Angela jump. It was Angela's aunt. Angela smiled, and hugged her aunt, saying, "Heyllo Aunt Josie." Aunt Josie was Angela's History teacher. She had bright blonde hair that curled down her face, framing her blue eyes and round face, just like Angela's mother's. Unlike Angela's mother however, Aunt Josie wore outfits according to the style of today. While Mrs. Daniels wore somewhat fashionable clothing, Aunt Josie was up-to-date very week. It was a wonder that she could do it on a teacher's salary. Angela's aunt smiled and looked up at Charlie, who was now surrounded by the rest of the group, who was asking him every question Man could think up.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"Charlie. Today's his first day."

"Exciting. What are his classes?"

"He has you 4th, don't you worry." Aunt Josie's eyes lit up.

"Oh Goody! Fresh Meat!" Angela elbowed her playfully. Aunt Josie just laughed. "I guess I'll be heading to the staff room, maybe hang out with some people my age. See you later, kid." She clacked away. Angela shook her head again and turned to look at Nayan who was now sitting next to her. His eyes watched her attentively. Angela raised her eyebrows.

"What?" Nayan nodded to Charlie.

"Where'd you find him?"

"In the hallway. I bumped into him actually. He couldn't find his class." Nayan snorted in disbelief. Angela raised one eyebrow. "Just because you have a compass glued to your brain doesn't mean we all do." Nayan just shook his head. Angela rolled her eyes, then stood and walked toward Kerra, who was standing on her own, watching the small crowd with interest.

"How's he holding up?"

"Good. They're eating him up. He'll fit in by tomorrow, latest." Angela nodded, smiling at the accomplishment.

After fourth period Spanish, Angela rushed off to AP English, just down the hall. The room was neat and organized, and the teacher was so cool she didn't care where you sat. She settled down into her favorite desk by the window and waited for the rest of the class to arrive. As she stared out across the campus, an idea came to her. Astounded by this new inspiration, Angela quickly pulled out a piece of paper and began scribbling, the words drawing in, and the world around her disappearing.

Sara Breslin was your typical teenager. She was brown eyed and brown haired, with a tan any girl would kill for. But there was one thing about Sara that made her different from everyone else; she loved vampires. But she didn't just like them. They were her unhealthy obsession. She read about them in books, she dressed like them for Halloween; she would have loved to be turned into one of them. One day, she get's her wish. Sara and her friends were playing in the woods when Sara gets sidetracked and lost. In the middle of the trees, she comes across ahears a noise that takes her out of the light of the moon. man. This man is no ordinary man. He looks hungry. Next thing Sara knows, she's on the ground, being attacked by a human-like shape. Sara tries to run, but the man shape is too fast. Before she can truly comprehend what is happening, she feels something pierce her neck and blacks out—

"Hey, what's that?" Angela had been so wrapped in her idea that actually fell out of her chair. The entire English class turned to stare at her while the teacher, Ms. Jones Jones observed from the front of the class. She appeared to be holding her hand to her heart as though Angela's fall had almost given her a heart attack.

"Oh dear," she said. "Are you all right, Ms. Daniels?" Angela slid back into her seat, secretly glad she had decided against her miniskirt today.

"I'm fine, Ms. Jones." Ms. Jones sighed.

"Try to be more careful in future Angela." Angela nodded, a warm flush in her cheeks.

"Yes, Ms. Jones."

As Ms. Jones continued with the lesson, Angela turned to see Charlie watching her. Angela blinked.

"Sorry," she whispered. "What were you saying?"

"What are you working on so intently?" Angela looked down at her paper.

"Oh," she said. "That's just a-" she looked up and caught sight of Charlie's eyes; so clear and metallic looking. "It's an idea for a story." Somewhere inside Angela's brain, a voice was whispering, 'what are you doing!?' She had never told anybody about her writing.

"A story? Cool. Are you going to publish it?"

"Eventually." Angela almost clamped her hand down over her mouth. The voice was right to worry. She could blow her cover and then that would be the end of public school.

Charlie nodded, seeming to understand. Angela opened her mouth to say something, but Charlie raised his finger to his lips and pointed to Ms. Jones. As Angela turned her gaze, Ms. Jones looked over at them. Maybe it was just her, but she thought she saw a smile cross her face.

That night, Angela was thrilled to hear Aunt Josie's tale of Charlie's first day. They talked of nothing else over dinner, much to Mrs. Daniel's displeasure. She wasn't big on boys. But Aunt Josie blew off her mother's indescribable gaze throughout the meal, much too absorbed in what she was talking about.

"Oh Ang hon, he's the most brilliant kid I've ever laid eyes on. I gave him something from quite a few different time periods to start with, just to see where he was. He handed it back within five minutes. Perfect Score. He's got some great handwriting on him too. That boy's got a future ahead of him no doubt about it. I can't wait to see what he does next!" Angela smiled, glad that Charlie was fitting in.

Aunt Josie stayed until eight, when she announced that she had to leave to correct papers. Angela hugged her and smiled.

"Good night Aunt Josie."

"Good Night, kid. Don't forget the homework. It's due tomorrow whether you're my niece or not."

"I know, I know. Now go grade some papers." Aunt Josie waved from the car and Angela waited till she had turned the corner and vanished before she closed the door, smiling.

The next morning, Angela's mother dropped her off at the Auto Shop to pick up her Ferrari. Angela stood watching it for a few minutes before running her fingers over the hood and climbing into the plush cab. She turned on the heater as she carefully drove through the winding streets toward school. As she pulled into a parking space, she caught sight of Charlie leaning against the wall of the theater, talking to another boy about Charlie's age. She couldn't see the boy's face, but as he was animatedly waving his arms around him, Angela could see his auburn skin, just like Nayan's. His brown hair was long, shoulder-length. As she watched, Charlie rolled his eyes and waved him off. The boy seemed to sigh and he walked off. Angela finally turned off the car and hesitantly left the warmth of the comfy cab. As she approached, Charlie rubbed his eyes. He looked tired.

"Long night?" Charlie's head shot up. When he caught sight of Angela, he flashed her his pearly white half smile and nodded.

"Yeah. My teachers are piling on the homework already."

"That's high school for you," Angela agreed, sliding onto the cement planter.

"So, what do you think of Ms. Daniels?"

"She's cool. Better than all my other teachers. She's your aunt, right?" Angela nodded.

"Yes, but, how did you—"

"She doesn't exactly keep it secret. And she looks like a blonde version of you." Angela laughed.

"She's like the sister I never had. She's almost closer to me than my mother…well, almost."

Charlie nodded. "I understand." Angela sighed and sat back on the planter, leaning against the wall.

"So," she said, "How did you end up in San Francisco?" Charlie didn't look at her when he replied.

"I was living with my dad for a while. But he had a real bad drug and alcohol problem. So now I live with my mom, who's here." Angela nodded.

"I see. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not you're fault…Unless, it is?" Charlie looked at her suspiciously. Angela smiled and playfully shoved him, then changed the subject.

"So, how do you get to school?" At this, Charlie's smile widened.

"Here, I'll show you." He stood up and Angela followed. He rounded the corner into a small parking lot.

"That," he said, pointing, "Is how I get to school. Angela's jaw dropped.

"That's- That's a-a-a-"

"An Aston Martin." Indeed it was, a sleek and shiny Aston Martin DB9 Coupe. It was black as Onyx and as clean as a whistle. Angela stepped carefully up to the car, running her fingers over the smooth surface of the hood.

"It's beautiful." Charlie smiled.

"You like it?"

"Like it!? I would marry this car!" Charlie laughed. He looked down at his watch.

"It's only 8. We have half an hour. Want to go for a drive?"

"YES!" Angela practically tackled Charlie, who yelled, "Okay! Okay!" Angela stepped back and collected the remainder of her dignity, then Charlie handed her the keys. Angela looked down at the key ring in her hands, shocked. She looked up at Charlie, wide-eyed.

"Are you serious?" Charlie smiled.

"Sure, why not?"

"Thank you!" Angela climbed into the driver's side of the car, Charlie sliding into the passenger seat. Angela had to keep herself from running her hands over the dashboard. Instead, she slipped the keys into the ignition and turned them.

"Charlie." Charlie Colton flew off the bed, gripping the ceiling on all fours. It was Aiden. Aiden, whose brown hair hung low over his coffee colored skin and ochre eyes. Slowly, Charlie let go of the top of the room, landing on his feet on solid ground.

"What?" Charlie muttered grumpily.

"Are you hunting tonight?" Charlie's expression changed. He suddenly felt ravenous.

"I probably should. Why?"

"Becky said we should spread out. You know her whole 'under-populating one area' thing."

"Yeah. Um, I'll see if I can get anyone on or by the Golden Gate tonight."

"M'kay." Aiden turned on his heel and left.

There was nothing else for it. Grumpily, Charlie grabbed his coat and trudged down the tedious flights of stairs to the parking lot for his car; the sleek black Aston Martin DB9 Coupe. Driving down the road, he was there within 20 minutes. He parked nearby, got out, and began walking. It was a cold, wet kind of night. Not many people were walking. He would have to go to the end of the bridge to make sure, however. As he walked, he felt the wind blowing his hair back from his face. He breathed deeply, loving the cold night air on his skin. He had been walking for a few minutes when he came upon a woman in her 40's, maybe even a little younger, staring over the railing at the dark waters. She looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't see clearly, as her hair fell across her face as she stared at the dark waters. Charlie snatched his chance. As the woman turned to leave, he pulled the hair back from her neck and sank his teeth in. The woman gasped and fell back against him. Charlie knew he should stop, but the animal inside him had taken over. By the time he was done, he knew the human would never live through this.

Charlie carried the woman back to his car, where he drove her to a well-known park. It wasn't until he placed her under a tree that he realized who it was. For a second, he thought he had killed the girl from school, Angela. But it was Ms. Daniels, his History teacher. His shoulders slumped sadly. When he had met her, yesterday now, she had been so lively, so funny, so kind. And look what he'd done to her. Thoughts and emotions raged through his mind. But what could he do?

"I'm sorry," he whispered and headed back to his car.

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**Well, what'ya think? Was it awesomely awesome? I actually came up with this because of a strange dream I had...really strange. Don't forget to review. if I made a mistake, please let me know! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**_AN: This is an EDITED VERSION of Chapter 2. Read on. Please. Refrain from Twilight comments_**

**Well people, here's Chapter Two. Thanks for the subscriptions to favorites and such. They're lovely, really. But seriously, guys, I need REVIEWS. I need to know if this is even worthy enough to continue. Thanks!**

Chapter Two

Next morning, Angela lounged around in bed, her eyes red and puffy. Her mother had gone down to the station to see over the details of her sister's death and Angela had flatly refused to go. Seeing her usually free spirited aunt lying on a cold metal slab… it sent shivers up Angela's spine. Her room, which was furnished with a king-size bed, a large bathroom, -complete with a huge bathtub that sunk into the floor and a shower- a smooth desk and a laptop computer on top, was- for no reason- depressingly dismal. Finally, she got up and slipped into the shower, letting the hottest water she could take run over her skin. Despite the heat however, Angela found herself shivering and felt liquid on her cheeks that had nothing to do with the water pouring across her face. She frantically wiped at her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself to keep from shaking. Finally, an hour later, she shut off the water and dressed simply in jeans and a black tank top, pulling her hair back into a simple ponytail and stumbled, almost blindly, down the stairs to the kitchen. She tried to eat a sandwich, but found that the stuff scratched her throat like sandpaper and eventually just threw it away. As she did so, her cell phone rang. Angela jumped at it, glad to have something to take her mind off of what had happened. The screen said there was a text message from Nayan. Angela flipped the phone open to read:

How are you doing?

Nayan always had to spell everything out. Angela sighed and after a moment, replied:

OK, I think. How bout you?

The reply came back less than 30 seconds later:

Uh, ok. Kerra wants to say hi.

HI!! How r u? Where r u? Aftr skewl we're coming ovr, k? Chrly 2. We'll

The message cut off there. In her minds eye, Angela could see Kerra fighting Nayan for the phone. She smiled slightly, the expression feeling harsh and awkward on her face. She put her phone in her pocket and headed upstairs, not sure of how she would occupy herself until they arrived.

By the time the doorbell rang a few hours later, Angela had cleaned the entire house spotless, down to the last speck of dust. It had kept her busy and, because she'd been listening to her iPod, the volume on almost full blast, she had kept her mind off the current situation. Pulling her gloves off, she opened the door to see EVERYONE standing on her doorstep- Nayan, Kerra, Brandon, Gabrielle, Jade, Jezebel, Gabrielle, Kye, and Charlie. Each person greeted her in their own way, Nayan slinging one arm around her for a second, muttering his condolences. Brandon shook her hand and put a hand momentarily on her shoulder. Kye crushed her in a bear hug. The girls were a little tender. They all swarmed on her at once, holding chocolates, movies and boxes of tissues. When she was finally able to ward them off, her eyes found Charlie, who was taking great care in shutting the door. Angela approached him, unsure of what to say. Charlie turned to see her. He didn't smile. He handed her a single rose and mumbled, "I'm so…so sorry." Angela started to laugh. Charlie frowned.

"What's so funny?" Angela wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

"Oh Charlie, sorry, I'm not laughing at you, I'm just…you act like this is your fault, when it's really not. You have nothing to be sorry for." She took his hand and led him to the living room, where she plopped down on the couch, which was full of cooing girls. Nayan was busy slipping Angela's favorite action movie, Strike, into the DVD player. Angela snuggled down amongst the mass of women as Kye went to dim the lights. Charlie settled down on the floor as the trailers began rolling. No one moved, absorbed in the TV screen. That is, until about halfway through the movie, when Angela stood up and said, "I'll be right back." Everyone was too absorbed in the movie to pay her much attention. But Charlie noticed. He waited a minute or so before getting up and going into the kitchen.

The kitchen was large, with a huge, tan, tile floor. The marble counters gleamed with Angela's recent cleaning. In the middle was a great island with a stainless steel sink. Above the island, there hung cooking utensils galore. Directly opposite the swinging kitchen door was a large, alcove-like window, which sat above another stainless steel sink. Through the window, one could see the entire backyard, which consisted of a swimming pool, a fire pit, a Jacuzzi, and an enormous balcony. Charlie saw Angela standing at the edge of the balcony, overlooking the swimming pool. Charlie opened the sliding glass door and stepped out into the cool night air. Angela whipped around, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"Oh," she said, her voice shaking, "It's just you." Charlie had no idea how to respond to this so said, "I wasn't sure if you wanted company or not, but I figured I'd give it a try." Angela smiled half-heartedly.

"Charlie, that's so sweet. Thank-you," she said. She turned around again to face the pool and sighed. Charlie stood next to her.

"I just, can't believe she's gone." Charlie's stomach churned. What had he done? Angela continued talking as if letting it all go.

"Did you know that she could run an entire marathon without breaking a sweat? She was just so full of energy that as soon as she was done, she would come home and bake us a cake to celebrate, whether or not she won." She let out a shaky laugh and Charlie could see tears spilling over onto Angela's cheeks. This stirred feelings in Charlie that he could not understand or bear. Taking Angela in his arms, he whispered, "I'm so sorry Angela." Angela broke down, her tears soaking the shoulder of his black T-shirt. He held her until she finished and wrapped her arms around his neck. Lifting herself onto the tips of her toes, she kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "Thank-you." Charlie's eyes closed, ashamed of hearing the words he didn't deserve.

The sliding glass door flew open and both Charlie and Angela flew apart. Angela's mother was back from the station. Her eyes were rimmed with red and she held a box of tissues in her hand. She was looking at Charlie with a strange expression on her face.

"I think it would be best if you said goodnight to your friend, Angela," she said. "I've already sent the others off. We need to spend some time together right now." Angela hung her head. Charlie sighed.

"It's okay. I'll see you later, Angela," he said and slipped around Mrs. Daniels, through the kitchen door, and was gone.

Saturday. Charlie was busy watching a TV show in his apartment when Aiden walked through the door. Charlie, already accustomed to Aiden's manners, made no move to say hello, but merely put his feet up on the coffee table, making himself more comfortable. Aiden gave a jubilant, "Hello!" before going off to raid Charlie's refrigerator. He reentered the living room a moment later, holding a fat slice of chocolate cake that Charlie had made last night as a midnight snack, and a glass of wine. Plopping down on the couch next to Charlie, he munched on the cake without proper utensils and slurped his wine. Charlie made a pained expression as he wiped the crumbs from his nice leather couch.

"Do you mind?" he asked.

"Of course not!" and slid onto the floor, continuing to shove pieces of cake into his mouth. Charlie recorded the TV show and hit the power button. He got up and went into the kitchen for a glass of lemonade and took a grateful gulp. It was sweet and tangy, swirling down his throat. He took the glass back to the living room just as the phone rang. Aiden eagerly reached for it, but Charlie, seeing Angela's number on the caller id from across the room, pounced on it before Aiden's hand had so much as grazed it.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Um, hey Charlie, it's Angela." She wasn't sounding much better than a week ago. She had been out of school all week as well.

"Angela, hey. How're you feeling?" He waved Aiden away. Aiden traded a look of indignation for a fake- dreamy one and said, "Aw, Charwie's in wuv."

"I'm fine. Well, we're having a funeral for my Aunt and I…" her voice trailed off and Charlie was hit with another wave of guilt. She must have gone through this a few times today already.

"You want me to go?" Angela sighed gratefully.

"Yes. That is, if you're not busy or anything."

"No, I'll be there. When?" He at least owed it to the woman to go to her funeral and be there for her niece.

"It's next Saturday at the First Church of San Francisco. Five o'clock."

"All right. I'll see you then."

"Ok, bye."

"Oh, and Ang?" Angela paused.

"Yes?" Charlie took a moment to gather the emotions flooding through him.

"You take care of yourself."

"I will. See you Saturday." Charlie put the phone down and whacked Aiden over the head. Aiden yelped and, rubbing the back of his skull, moaned, "What was that for?" Charlie rolled his eyes as there was a knock on the door. Charlie stood up and went to answer it. It was Becky, the owner of the apartment building. Well, not really. It really belonged to the Order, who were a bunch of the oldest vampires known to man, and who reigned over the other, younger, usually more naive vampires. They were among the first vampires to ever exist, and felt it completely in their rights to give tasks to whomever they pleased. They didn't get out much either. Becky, first transformed by a member of the Order, was just a cover story.

"Hello Becky."

"Heya Charles. I was told to give this to you." Charlie took the paper from Becky and opened it, noticing the familiar handwriting at once.

Charlie,

We have a new task for you. As it is of the utmost importance, please report to the Task Room immediately to receive your assignment.

Yours Sincerely,

The Order

Charlie sighed and folded the note and slid it into his back pocket.

"Thanks Becky." He turned back into the room long enough to say, "Aiden, if you make a mess like last time, you'd better sleep with both your eyes open." Aiden, who's eyes were now glued to the TV and was spooning ice cream from the carton and into his mouth, yelled, "Will do!" and Charlie left, not at all confident with Aiden's promise.

The Task Room was deep underground. The room itself was vast and the ceiling was so high it was hard to make it out. The Task Room was the only room in the whole apartment building made of stone. When you entered the door, you were immediately standing in a lowered floor. In front of you stood a huge semi-circular row where the Order sat in stone desks that seemed to have grown out of the stone floor. There was little else except for a small door that no one had ever seen open. And so, as Charlie stepped through the door and closed it behind him, he found himself, once again, on the lowered floor, looking up at the semi-circular row, whereupon the Order sat, stern looks on their faces. You would not think them old to look at them. They were all in their twenties, thirties max. But after a while, you learned to look upon them with respect. They had always taken great care in their charges, supplying all the funds they could need. They also did most of the dirty work.

Anyways, as Charlie stood in the middle of the floor, the man in the middle stood up. He was a tall man with thick black hair and hazel eyes. His presence commanded the silence of everyone present. Looking down on Charlie, he said, "Charlie, I assume you know of the balance?" Charlie frowned.

"Yes sir, of course. The balance between vampires and werewolves."

"Precisely, and when the balance slips, what happens?"

"Well, sir, if the balance between us and the wolves slip, then we are losing advantage. In such a case, we must transform humans or perish…why?"

"Charlie, I'm afraid to say that the balance is indeed in danger. We have news that a rogue vampire is killing off vampires and any humans in their path. So your task is quite simple. We need you to help us restore the balance by turning a human."

Charlie blinked at these words. The balance was slipping. He had heard about it happening, but never like this, and he had never been recruited before.

"But sir, why-"

"Never you mind about the why. Think about the who. We hear you're making fast friends in your new high school. We also hear of a girl there that you seem to have grown close to. What was her name? Angela Daniels, I presume." Charlie's fists tightened, his jaw clenched. He was going to kill Aiden. The man in the middle of the row continued as if he had been talking about the weather.

"Anyways Charlie, we were curious when we heard this. So we sent Bradley after you the day you went to her house. He said hers was by far the most delicious blood he had ever encountered.

"Therefore, we have come to the decision that we would be delighted to have Angela as one of us. We have all agreed. All you have to do is turn her and your task is finished." He smiled as if this were the easiest thing in the world to accomplish. But Charlie shook his head.

"No," he said. The man's smile faltered.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I won't do it."

"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, of course you will. But I suppose, if you wish, we shall give you a choice. You may choose to turn Ms. Daniels for us, or we will do it for you. Make sure you understand that we make no guarantees on behalf of her comfort. Charlie's metallic eyes flashed and he glared up at the Order. His thoughts were everywhere at once, but the thought of Angela being handled with less care made the choice for him.

"All right. I'll do it." The man sat down.

"Good man. You may go." Charlie turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

* * *

**I'm completely iffy on this chapter. Tell me what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**_AN: MINE! UPDATED! NO TWILIGHT COMMENTING PLEASE!!_**

**Okey-day people, so here is chapter three. It's not as long as the last two chapters, but there's a reason behind it. Don't ask questions, just wait till you get to the end. Also, from here on out, I should let you guys know that I have a plan of where this should go, I'm just not sure how I'm going to get there. So that's why it might take me a while. Just in case you want to know. :)**

* * *

Chapter Three

The day of the funeral, sunlight filtered through the clouds enough to spread a little bit of warmth. Now and then, the rays would disappear, then slowly creep back into vague existence. At the reception, Charlie stood in a simple black button up and a pair of black jeans. His hair swept across his forehead and fell into his baby blue eyes. Next to him, stood Aiden, who had been tasked to accompany Charlie on the excursion. He wore a black T-shirt with the print of a tuxedo and a pair of black skinny jeans. His russet skin shined in the heat of the dim sun filtering through the windows as he surveyed the scene with a suddenly ravenous look in his eyes. Charlie sighed heavily.

"Aiden, you did eat last night, right?" Aiden smiled deviously. Patting his stomach, he said, "There's always room for more." Charlie glared at him and Aiden threw up his hands.

"Relax," he said, "I'll behave myself. So, where is she?" Aiden asked. Charlie sighed again, warily regarding the mob.

"I don't know. I can't see through all these people." Indeed, it seemed that half the student body had come to pay their respects. It was like looking into a black hole with heads.

Just then, Charlie caught sight of Kye and, dragging Aiden along behind him, pushed his way through the crowd towards him. He was dressed more formally than either Charlie or Aiden. He wore a black tux along with a black button up and tie. In his arms, Kerra watched the crowd. A tear rolled down her cheek. Kye turned when his name was called. A slight smile pushed through and quickly vanished. It seemed it had hit home for him as well.

"Charlie, old chap. How do you fair on this…uh, fine afternoon?"

"Fine. Hey, have you seen Angela? I needed to talk to her." Kye snorted.

"You and the rest of the world. She's over there. You might actually save her from dying of boredom. Look." He pointed. Amidst the crowd of raven black, to the far wall. There was a flash of dark red satin. Shocked, Charlie politely shoved through the gaggle of people and finally reaching Angela, who was listening to Mr. Townley offer his condolences one at a time.

"Angela, might I talk to you?" Angela's face momentarily lit up before she covered it. She turned to Mr. Townley and said, "Thank-you so much, Mr. Townley. Excuse me." She took Charlie's arm and they walked in the opposite direction.

Angela was not crying. She seemed to be done with tears. But she was not exactly the same. When Angela caught Charlie looking at her, she smiled, differently. It was not exactly sad, but it definitely was not one of happiness.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, but…what are you wearing?" Charlie could not help but ask, for Angela was indeed wearing a deep red satin cocktail wrap dress with halter straps. Around her waist was a strip of hemmed fabric the color of olives, which wrapped several times around her and tied at her side. Her hair was elegantly piled on top of her head, with a small red rose tucked behind her ear. Angela laughed, a small, sad thing.

"Aunt Josie loved this dress. She gave it to me herself. She hated when people wore black, so I thought it only fit to wear this. She would have wanted it. The rose is part of it too. Her favorite flower." Charlie sighed. Angela hung her head then looked up at him.

"Thank-you."

"For what?" Angela nodded her head toward Mr. Townley.

"I was dying. He could not stop talking." She laughed, a real smile this time. Charlie joined in.

Someone cleared their throat behind them. Both turned at once to see Aiden. He bowed low and took Angela's hand, kissing it tenderly, saying, "Beggin' yer pardon miss, but are you not Miss Daniels?" Charlie slapped his hand away.

"Sorry Angela. This pest is Aiden." Aiden bowed low again.

"When Charlie told me 'bout the lovely Miss Angela, I knew she must be fetching, by the way she was described. But I 'ad no idea she was this be'utiful." Angela blushed.

"Oh, thank-you." Charlie rolled his eyes at Aiden's accent and flirting. He leaned closer to Angela's ear as Aiden turned to speak to a man who had bumped into him.

"Don't listen to him. He'll do anything to win a woman over." Angela smiled.

"I'll remember that." A woman came up to Angela to offer her commiseration, and Angela turned momentarily to Charlie.

"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." Charlie nodded and Angela walked away with the woman as Aiden turned back around. Seeing Angela was gone, he elbowed Charlie sharply in the ribs, raising his eyebrows a few times.

"Wow, Charlie. Really wow. I mean wha' a babe. And couldn't you smell that blood? Brad was right. You're a lucky, lucky man." Charlie pushed him. "Cut it out, Aiden." Aiden rubbed the point of contact.

"Why?" Charlie watched as Angela hugged Nayan, laughing. He dropped his eyes to the ground, sadly.

"It's not something I want to think about." Aiden considered this, then his eyes widened as a look of comprehension crossed over his face. A grin spread across his mouth and cheeks.

"Oh, I see," he said. "Poor mate, carrying feelings for a human. A mere mortal. A-"

"Not for long." Aiden clicked his tongue and slung an arm over Charlie's shoulder.

"Well, look on the bright side; after it's over, you've got her for the rest of eternity. Ah, here comes the fair maiden. Think nothing of my absence, sweet Charlie. I shall watch from afar." He saluted dramatically and stalked away. Angela stared at him as she stepped up to Charlie.

"He's a bit strange. Anyways, Charlie, the gang is getting together tonight to go to the movies. Wanna come? You can bring flirt-boy with you." Charlie laughed lightly.

"I'll go, but Aiden has plans tonight." Charlie had made up the last part. He wasn't sure if Aiden had plans or not, but if he didn't, Charlie would make up some for him.

"Good. So everyone's coming over to my house at about eight and we'll go from there."

"Cool. All right then."

The next morning, Angela woke up in bed, the pillow over her head. She rolled over, throwing the pillow off and looking around. Rain was pounding against the glass like there was no tomorrow. The grey of the sky gaped back at her from the window over her head. It made her squint and eventually she rolled out of bed. She took a quick shower and dressed in a pair of sweats, a tank top, a pull over hoodie, and a pair of warm fleece socks. After dressing, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail bun and trooped downstairs to the kitchen, actually feeling hungry since Aunt Josie had "left" as she had been referring to it. She put some soup on the stove and grabbed the kettle for some hot chocolate. As she stirred the soup (clam chowder, her favorite) and waited for the kettle to whistle, she heard the doorbell ring. Sighing, she turned down the heat on the soup so it wouldn't burn and went to open the door.

It was Charlie. Angela opened the door and cocked her head to one side.

"Charlie, what brings you here?" Charlie held up a cell phone. It was Angela's cell phone.

"You left this in the car last night. I figured you might need it back. You've gotten a few calls already." Angela took the phone from Charlie's outstretched hand.

"Thanks. Hey, I was about to make some hot chocolate. Do you want some?"

"Sure," Charlie said, following her in and shutting the door behind him. Angela reentered the kitchen and saved the soup before it burned. She turned up the heat a bit to get it going. Charlie pulled up a stool and sat down, watching Angela as she stirred. Angela could feel his eyes on her and eventually she looked up, a slight blush in her face. Charlie smiled and Angela was reminded of the other night, when she had kissed his cheek.

"S-so," she stuttered. "How do you like your classes?"

"They're okay, I guess. Grades aren't really important to me." Angela frowned. True, as she could already support herself, grades weren't the whole world, but they were still significant. She couldn't imagine what she would do if she didn't graduate. And then going to college… Her own mother didn't know about her writing. It had been something she had kept to herself, so she would feel in control of how public she was. She sat down next to him and placed two mugs on the counter, asking, "Really? Why?"

Charlie seemed to take this under careful consideration. Finally, he said, "I guess just because I have plans for my life that a school couldn't help with at all." Angela nodded understandingly.

"What about you?"

"Oh, well, I'm going to Santa Cruz after I graduate. But, like you, I don't think grades are everything. There's so much more to life then a bunch of letters on a piece of paper."

"Exactly." Angela sipped on her hot chocolate, looking longingly at the covered pot on the stove, but felt that it would be rude to eat in front of a guest.

"Can I ask you something?" Charlie nodded.

"Have you ever felt like there was only a small amount of time left to you, in this life, and that you should just get everything done right now? Like carpe diem?"

"Actually, I have."

"What did you do then?" Charlie watched the bottom of his empty mug, but not as though really seeing it. When he looked up, a smile played across his lips.

"I went carpe diem."

**Well, that's it. As I said, it'll take me a while to finish the next few chapters. But on the bright side, after THAT the words will just start flowing. I'm thinking about this everyday, but school-life is totally hectic and all, what with the end of the third quarter. But I usually just work on it whenever I can during my classes, so it should be soon...I hope. Anyways, I know you hear this ALL the time, but PLEASE REVIEW. I want to make this clear to everybody. I want to know if this story is even WORTH pursuing. Thank you to all my avid readers and reviewers of the last few chapters. I LOVE YOU AAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!**

**P.S. Sorry if this chapter sucks. I had a really hard time with it...AND IT'S NOT EVEN LONG! GRRRRR!!**

**P.P.S. IT WILL GET BETTER!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm SOOO Sorry. I leave for camp tomorrow, so I worked EXTRA HARD to finish this chapter before I left. It's not perfect, and I'm going to be updating the last few chapters later because I have been re-reading and found some flaws. Nothing that can't be fixed, but it has to be done. Now, READ. REVIEW. If you wan't me to update soon (it'll be at least 3 weeks) I'll need some encouragement. See ya!**

* * *

Chapter Four

The market was a whirl of color and sound. They had everything: from candy shops to dance floors, produce stands to antique shops… There were even small clown cars driving up and down the street, entertaining the many lollipop-licking children. Charlie and Angela sat beneath a large oak tree. Angela laughed as Charlie showed her how to balance a spoon on her nose.

"Then you gently place the spoon on said nose, like so…" He placed his spoon carefully on his nose. "And… Voilá!" As he said this, he let go of the spoon. The utensil hung for a second before falling off. Angela giggled. Charlie smiled.

"Okay," he said. "Your turn." Angela stopped laughing.

"Me?" she asked. "I can't do that."

"Oh, come on. It's easy. Here, I'll help you." Charlie got up and came around behind Angela, handing her a spoon. "Okay, now lightly exhale onto the spoon." Angela did so. "Good, now gently, place the spoon on your nose." Charlie's hand grasped hers on the plastic handle. His other hand gently grasped her waist. Angela felt a shiver run through her and she was unsure whether it was because of the gentle wind or because of the closeness of Charlie's skin to hers. But she let Charlie's hand guide the bowl of the spoon to her nose. The plastic was cool to the skin and Angela, fearing failure, tilted her head back. In the close proximity of her companion, her hair fell across the back of Charlie's shoulder. Angela waited for the spoon to fall. It didn't. Angela gasped in excitement, causing the spoon to slip off her face.

"I did it! I did it Charlie!" Charlie laughed at the extremity of Angela's joy. Angela turned to Charlie, her laughter fading away as she met Charlie's gaze. He had such a handsome gaze. Those metallic blue eyes. They were enough to fall into if one looked to long. As this thought passed over Angela's mind, she looked quickly away. Charlie was silent for a second. Then, he stood up and stuck his hand out to her.

"Hungry?" he asked. Angela felt the tension between them dissipate, and gladly accepted his hand.

"Starving."

"Good. I'm buying."

Angela expected Charlie to take her to the nearest fast food restaurant. That or a semi-nice restaurant at best. What she didn't expect was for Charlie to drive her 30 miles to the classy Jacques.'

Angela slid into the seat Charlie held out for her with all the grace she could muster in Charlie's presence. It must have something to do with the high-class feel of it all. She felt awkward sitting in her tank top, jeans, and flip flops. Charlie sat down across from her, just outside the circle of light that fell across the table from over their heads. As he looked up at her, Angela was struck once again by how beautiful his metallic blue eyes were, how his dirty blonde hair hung over his forehead just so.

"So," Charlie smiled. "How's your mom?"

"She's okay. Sorry about the other night. She just been stressed since-"Angela drew in a shaky breath. She lifted her right hand from the table to hide her watering eyes.

There was a moment of silence. Then, Charlie slid his hand across the table to her left other hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Angela carefully looked up and was surprised to see the pain in his eyes. It looked as though it had been his aunt who had died.

"Angela," he said. "I'm sorry." Angela sighed.

"No, it's okay. I'm just too… I just wish she were here, that's all. I'm sorry, that's terrible, isn't it?" Charlie shook his head.

"There is nothing wrong with missing your aunt, Angela. Don't ever feel like that." Angela tried not to sniffle, but failed dismally. Charlie shifted uncomfortably. Luckily, the uncomfortable silence was broken by an over-smiling waitress.

"Good evening ma'am, sir. May I take your order?"

The rest of dinner went by smoothly. Angela raised objections about Charlie paying for her meal, but Charlie would hear nothing of it, paying with a shiny American Express credit card. Together they climbed into Charlie's car. Mostly they kept silent. But as Charlie pulled off the freeway, Angela was struck by a question; a longed for topic of discussion to end the dull silence.

"Charlie?"

"Hmm?"

"What kind of music do you listen to?" Charlie shrugged.

"I'll listen to pretty much anything: Rock, Rap, Hip-Hop, Pop, R&B, especially Classical. But no country."

"Why not?"

"Do you like Country?"

"Yes, I do. What of it?" Charlie snorted.

"Country is just brainwash created by hicks to make money." Angela laughed.

"Oh, okay, Mr. Classical."

"What exactly are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything. I'm telling you that Classical is a little old. People still listen to Ode to Joy, and how old is that song? You're just living in the past." Charlie shook his head sadly.

"Oh Angela. There's no hope for you now. You're too far gone." Angela, looking affronted, slapped Charlie's arm playfully. Charlie smiled as he rounded the corner to Angela's house. The porch light was on and her mother's car was parked next to her Ferrari. Before Charlie could say anything, Angela turned to him.

"I want to thank you. No one has ever told me what you did. You know, about missing my aunt? When my father died, my mom told me that all she said was, 'good riddance.' She said later that they had already decided on divorce." A pause, then, "But you probably don't want to hear any of this." Angela fell silent and looked out the window. Charlie said nothing. Angela sighed again.

"I guess I'd better go," she mumbled. As she opened the door, Charlie spoke.

"Angela-"

"- Yes?" Angela turned back. Charlie took her face in both hands and kissed her full on the mouth. Charlie's lips were warm and soft, like the give of a peach. The tenderness of his lips on hers made Angela melt a little. Her hands, for a want of a better task than sitting awkwardly in her lap, swept up Charlie's chest to his shoulders and around his neck. Charlie relocated his arms to Angela's waist. The kiss was short, but sweet. It was just enough to leave Angela breathless. When Charlie pulled away, his head leaned comfortably against Angela's.

Finally, Angela said, her eyes still closed, "I should go." Charlie, seemingly reluctantly, let go. As Angela opened the door, she turned back to smile at Charlie.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Charlie smiled back.

"Sweet Dreams," he said/ Angela shut the door and ran up to her porch, then turned back and waved. Charlie waved back and started the car. He drove around the corner before parking again and dropping his head hard against the steering wheel, contemplating what on Earth he was doing.

"Charlie," Becky said calmly. "I know you don't want to do this. I don't think anyone in your particular situation would want to. But it has to be done."

"But why me?" Charlie moaned. He was sitting in Becky's kitchen with Becky herself and Aiden, who were both trying to coax him into a better mood than the one he had at present. This was obviously going nowhere fast.

"Come on, mate," Aiden said as Charlie began banging his head against the table. "It's not so bad. You get to change the most beautiful girl you've laid eyes upon. Sure, it's not something she wants or needs or even knows about, but you get to do it. And you get to spend eternity with her after! You've got the best of all worlds!" Charlie moaned louder.

"You're not helping, Aiden. Go have some pudding. It's in the refrigerator."

"SCORE!" Aiden jumped out of his chair and disappeared from view, rummaging around in the kitchen. Becky shook her head and sat down next to Charlie, who was busy making a dent in Becky's table using only his face.

"Charlie, I know. I know it's hard. I've tried to talk it out with Cassius, but he won't listen. It's got to be done." She caught Charlie's forehead as it made for the table again and turned it towards her. Charlie refused to look at her, but Becky paid him no mind. "It's much like a band-aid I suppose. The faster you rip it off, the less painful and drawn out it is. Okay?" Charlie sighed, and nodded.

"Okay."

"Good," Becky said, letting go of Charlie and moving towards the kitchen. "Now fix my table. If I find even the slightest indentation in it, it's your head. Aiden! Get your lips off my pitcher this instant, do you hear me!?"

Next morning, Angela awoke from deep, confusing dreams about fangs and the moon. But her mind wasn't focused on the dreams. Instead, her fingers traced her lips where Charlie had kissed them. She couldn't say she wasn't happy it had happened. On the contrary, she had been contemplating what it might be like to kiss Charlie. He was fascinating, always the gentleman, and better at it than even Nayan had ever been able to accomplish. Finally, she rolled out of bed to get ready for school.

The parking lot was still empty when she got there. She was pretty sure that even Charlie wasn't there that early. Sighing, Angela slipped out of her car and sat down on the brick wall that ran along the back end of the school where the student parking was located. Angela pulled out her cell phone. She had to tell someone. It might as well be Kerra.

Are you up yet?

She pressed 'SEND' and waited for Kerra to reply. The answer came back a minute later.

Ya, wzup?

I have a confession to make

WHT

Kerra, whatever you do, do NOT tell ANYONE

Come on u can trust me! I kept ur secret from 1st gd all these yrs

OK!... I kissed Charlie last night

00

STILL KERRA

Hang on, Ill call u

Angela slid her phone shut and a few seconds later her phone rang. Angela opened the phone.

"Hello?"

"Angela! I need details! Why didn't you tell me!?"

"I thought I just did."

"This is so great, Angela! You two are like the ultimate couple. A match made in heaven! A-"

"Kerra, let's not get-" But Kerra cut her off.

"So, Angela, when is the first date?"

"I don't know, Kerra! I don't even know if he wants to! For all I know, he just did it because he feels sorry for me! I-"

"Angela, Angela, Angela. When will you ever learn? That boy's crazy for you. Everyday you're not at school- which has been a long while, mind you- he gets this far off look in his eyes and only really listens when we're talking about you." This was definitely news to Angela.

"Really?"

"He's Star-struck."

"Why didn't you tell me!?"

"'I thought I just did!' Anyway, I've got to run. Kye is here and he's taking me to get breakfast before school. Kye's so sweet. Isn't he perfect? Yes, he is. Anyways, are you going to be there?"

"I already am."

"YES! All right, I'll see you when I get there. Bye!" She hung up without waiting for a response. Angela sighed and put her face in her hands.

"She's insane," she moaned.

"Who's insane?" Angela nearly fell backwards off the wall, but a hand caught hers. Angela looked up. Charlie smiled down at her. He was simply dressed today. Blue jeans and a black button up with rolled up sleeves.

"Oh, hi," Angela said, feeling her face grow hot. "Nothing. Just Kerra being Kerra."

"I see. Do you mind if I ask why you're here so early?"

"Nope." There was a silence.

"Uh… Why are you here so early then?"

"I woke up early and I couldn't go back to sleep. Do you mind if I ask you why you're always here early?" Charlie shrugged.

"I don't sleep much. I'm more of a nighttime person." Angela nodded and jumped down from the wall.

"That's cool, I guess. I would love night if I could stay awake through it. I love the moon." Charlie seemed excited by this.

"Great. Hey, I know this great place for looking at the moon. Would you be interested?"

"Yeah, that sounds fun! When?"

"Tomorrow night?" Charlie said hopefully.

"Sure."

"Okay." Another moment of silence. "Listen, about last night. I just wanted to let you know that it- well, it was one of the best nights I'd had in a long time ." Angela smiled and caught his hand.

"I thought so too." Charlie smiled.

"You can't have hated it that much. I would know, wouldn't I?" Angela returned the smile.

"I suppose you would," she said. "Come here." Angela pulled Charlie to her by his collar. Their lips met again and Charlie slid his arms around her waist, his hands on her lower back. Angela slowly let go of Charlie's collar and wrapped one arm around his neck while she ran the fingers of her other hand through Charlie's dirty blonde hair. Charlie carefully lifted Angela up onto her toes, and Angela felt her torso leaning onto his.

There was a whistling behind Angela's head, and both looked around. Nayan, Jezebel and Brandon stood about ten feet away. Brandon was clapping. Nayan and Jezebel merely stared in awe and disbelief. Angela smiled and pulled away.

"Morning, guys," she said, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "You're here early."

"Us? What about you two?" Jezebel asked.

"In my defense, I'm always here at this time," Charlie said.

"What's your excuse then, Angela?" Nayan inquired.

"I couldn't sleep. Sue me."

"Maybe I will."

"Guys! They're opening the doors to the school and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who's cold. Let's go in." The other three headed towards the main entrance. Angela and Charlie followed slowly behind. Charlie laced his fingers through Angela's, reminding Angela of the first day Charlie came to Brook Mills. She remembered sitting next to her mother in the car and seeing that couple on the crosswalk, holding hands. She remembered how she wanted that. She had had plenty of boyfriends. But none excited her like Charlie. Charlie had this air about him that made everything okay. She felt safer with him than with anyone else. He had even given her the advice she had needed to hear, just when she had needed to hear it. No one else had ever been able to do that the way he had. Once he had said it, it had clicked in her mind. It became clear like nothing else had. Angela squeezed Charlie's hand lightly, and Charlie squeezed back.

**Well, what'ya think? Interesting? Now, PLEASE review. Thanks to Michelle for giving me a poke every once in a while. See ya!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alrighty. I know that this has some spelling errors that REFUSE to pop up on my spell check. So if you see them, please tell me in your beautiful reviews. THANK YOU! Also, I have gone over the past chapters and edited them, but I haven't put them up yet. Keep a look out!**

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Chapter Five

Angela lay in bed. She should have been asleep. After all, she had missed so much school already. She wasn't about to miss more for lack of sleep. Yet no matter how many times she closed her eyes, mere moments later she would find herself staring at her ceiling again, thinking. No matter how she tried, the cogs in her brain never stopped turning, never ceasing in order to bring her peace. Not that her thoughts were unappealing. Nothing about Charlie was unappealing. But if she didn't find a distraction, and soon, she would be doomed to roam the earth, unable to sleep for thoughts of her new boyfriend. Boyfriend. There was a pleasant ring to the word. She'd had plenty _of _them, but the word boyfriend had never rolled off her tongue like when she has Charlie in mind.

It was of no use. Angela rolled out of bed and over to her laptop. Her alarm clock notified her that is was just past midnight. Switching on her desk lamp, she opened Word, pulled her bag over and grabbed her notebook, where her long forgotten summary lay hidden. As she watched the summary, taking it all in, she began to type, the words once again flowing like water from her head to the lighted screen in front of her. Barely even realizing what she was writing, she eventually sat back to admire her handiwork.

_My eyes shot open as my cell phone rang, the ringtone a loud, tinny sound from across the room. Moaning, I dragged myself out of bed and over to the dresser, guiding myself by the light of the moon filtering through the window. I opened the phone as fast as my arm muscles would allow, and, bringing the phone to my ear, mumbled, "Hello?"_

_"Sara, where are you!? You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago! We've been waiting for you!" Rubbing my tired eyes, I glance at the clock. 1:12 AM. I swore under my breath._

_"Sorry, Megan. I'm on my way." I hung up without waiting for an answer and pulled on my sneakers and jacket, shoving my cell phone into my pocket. As I headed out, I caught my reflection in the mirror. My black hair hung long and straight over my pale face, accenting my green eyes. I wore my usual PJ ensemble: black sweats and a white tank top, over which I wore my black zip-up. My black sneakers peeked out from underneath the sweats, making me look like a robber. All I needed was a ski mask with holes for eyes. Pulling my hair back in a hair tie, I pushed open the window, so as not to wake my parents by passing their room on my way down the hallway. After all, it would not be sneaking out if I waltzed out the front door. Where was the fun in that?_

_The night air was cool and refreshing on my face and what little skin I was showing. I embraced it as I shimmied down the drainpipe. Reaching my destination, the ground felt soft, but sure against the soles of my shoes. I didn't bother looking both ways before crossing the street. This side of town was empty by eleven. As I ran, I saw the tops of the trees looming ever closer. The forest. Jackson Forest, to be exact. It was my haven, and I hung out there at night with my friends, Megan, Pamela, Rita, and Bernadette. That may sound a little strange, but it's perfectly welcome to me. What could possibly hurt me in the forest? Vampires? They can't scare me. In fact, they're the reason I hang out there all the time. You see, Jackson Forest is said to contain a foreign race. Those who drink the blood of the living and hide in the shelter of the trees during the daytime. Of course, when people talk about it, they laugh it off like it's some huge joke, saying that there's no such thing as vampires and that therefore it can't affect them. Yet for some reason, people tend to shy away from the place like it's the black plague or something. I suppose I am different from society in that respect. I love vampires. They're like, __amazing. If there were some sort of club to join to be changed, I would be first in line. Yep. Absolutely._

_I could see the four in the distance and I ran faster, anxious to keep my promise. I was also rather anxious to walk under the canopy of the trees. The feeling of anticipation swept over me and I waved out to the others. Rita waved back furiously and I smiled as I pulled up to a stop in front of them._

_"Sorry I'm late," I panted._

_"It's okay," Pamela replied. "Let's just go." We all nodded and walked past the tree line. Another emotion reached me now: relief. I was home. It was fairly dark and none of us had flashlights. But the moon shone through just enough to see by and we eagerly frolicked among the trees, smiling and laughing, as quietly as we could, which really wasn't very quiet at all._

_There was a noise behind me. I turned to look and found myself looking into empty space. I took a step towards the direction I had heard the noise come from. The moment I did, there was another rustling somewhere in the trees a short distance away. I walked over to one of the trees and looked up. It was here I realized that I could not see the moon. The branches were so dense that they blackened all light out. I also realized that the woods were silent. The giggling of my friends were no more. I stood in the darkness for a few minutes, trying in vain to guess at my whereabouts. There was yet another disturbance in what I think were bushes to my right. My breathing quickened. Could this be it? Could it really be a vampire? I stepped towards the bushes and, standing almost on top of them, said, "Hello? I know you're there? Who are you?" There was silence. Complete and utter silence. I was alone, at least for the moment. Sighing, I turned away from the bushes and headed in any general direction that had some kind of light._

_Then, it attacked. I hit the ground as it ran headlong into me. I moaned and moved my hand to rub my back, but my elbow was forced down onto the ground, hard. I heard a snapping noise and shrieked in pain. There was a hissing noise somewhere above me and my mind clicked. Vampire? I tried to turn to get a better view, but could see nothing. I wondered what this would look like. My last moments of human life, hopefully. I relaxed every muscle and lay patiently on the forest floor. This didn't seem to work. As I relaxed, my brain started working. And my brain began thinking its human thoughts. Thoughts about death and bloodsucking and no sun and bloodsucking… I began to struggle again and screaming, my mind refusing to shut up. The hands that held me kept forcing me down, but I kept writhing on the floor, my broken arm twinging at every movement. Somehow, I managed to roll onto my back. I saw a tall, black, human shape. I began to scream again. The human shape leaned in towards me. I felt two… __somethings cold and hard pierce my neck. Then, all was blackness._

Happy with the nights work, Angela turned off her computer and climbed back into bed. Maybe thinking about Charlie wasn't so bad. If it got her on a mad writing rampage like that, she welcomed it with open arms. Angela turned onto her side and, with a light sigh, fell asleep with no trouble. The alarm clock now read 2 AM

* * *

Five hours later, Angela awoke to the sound of her alarm. Smacking the clock, the wondered why the ringing failed to cease. After pressing the snooze button about six more times in rapid succession, her mind registered that the sound wasn't her alarm at all. Instead, her cell phone pulsed with vibrations as the piano music of Beethoven's Fifth played. Angela jumped on it and, sliding it open, gasped, "Hello!?"

"Don't go into the woods tonight." The voice was low and gruff. It sent shivers down her spine.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" The click of the other end hanging up sounded in her ear. Angela stared at the phone. Unknown Number. This was almost like Julius Caesar. She just hoped that she wasn't about to get stabbed to death.

Sighing, she set her phone down on the desk and headed for the bathroom, where a warm shower awaited her.

* * *

Angela twisted her necklace around her neck. She couldn't stop thinking about the phone call. Who would know that she was planning to go into the woods that night? Who might want to warn her?

It was a bright, sunny day, and Angela looked out of the second story window, her thoughts swirling sluggishly around her brain. The voice had been stern, low. Why did it sound so familiar? Angela shook her head as though to shake the feeling that she was being watched and looked towards the front of the room, towards the teacher. Luckily, she hadn't seen Charlie all day. She wasn't sure whether she should tell him about the call. She didn't want her first real date with Charlie to be…not. But she didn't want to put anyone in danger either. After all, she didn't know whether it was some kind of prank or if someone was really trying to do the right thing by warning her.

Sighing, Angela gathered her things as the bell rand and headed for the door. As she rounded the corner, she ran straight into Charlie.

"Who there," Charlie chuckled. "Sorry, Angela, I didn't mean to run into you. Are you okay?"

"No, its fine, Charlie. I… wasn't watching where I was going." Charlie caught the look on Angela's face as she said this. She was distracted.

"Wait, Angela, are you sure you're okay?"

"… Yes."

"Angela, you seem a little off." Charlie closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It's okay. You can tell me." Angela shook her head.

"It's nothing. It's just… I got a phone call this morning. Someone told me not to go into the woods tonight." Charlie frowned.

"Who would know about that?"

"I don't know. I'm just… a little scared. I don't know if whoever called was doing it as a joke or if someone knows that the woods aren't safe tonight."

"Do you want to do it another time then?"

"No- I don't know. I mean, nothing would make me happier that to go. It's just hard not knowing for sure."

"I don't want you to feel scared or uncomfortable, Angela. If you don't want to go tonight, we can always wait for another time." Angela looked up into Charlie's eyes.

"You would do that for me?"

"Of course I would." Angela smiled and hugged Charlie around the middle.

"Thanks Charlie. That's very sweet of you." Charlie kissed the top of her head.

"No problem."

* * *

"We have a problem," Charlie said, opening the door to his apartment and seeing Aiden watching his television. "Why don't you use your own TV for once?"

"I don't have Tivo. What's the deal?"

"We have pretty much unlimited amounts of money and you can't get a Tivo box? Someone knew I was taking Angela to the woods tonight and warned her." Aiden clicked off the TV.

"What? How?" Charlie shook his head.

"I don't know. Anyone who would know here wouldn't mess with the Order's commands and warn her, and Angela hasn't told anyone. That must mean that someone was watching us when I asked her."

"Why can't it just be that she told someone and forgot about it?" Aiden asked. "She's a human. She has flaws."

"Aiden, even if you _are _human, you would remember if you told _one_ person. Maybe not whom, but you defiantly know. Have you already forgotten what it's like to _be_ human?"

"I wasn't blessed with brains like yours, thank goodness. If I did, my head would be as big as yours, and we all know how big a curse that is for you." Charlie threw a shoe at Aiden's head and headed for his bedroom as Aiden let out a loud, "Hey!"

"Seriously though, who could have known where we'd be going tonight? Who would want to follow one of us?" Aiden moseyed into the bedroom behind him and fell onto Charlie's bed.

"I dunno. A florist?" Charlie rolled his eyes as he reached into his closet for a new shirt.

"Yes, Aiden. I'm sure all of the local florists are out to get me. Thank-you for the enlightenment," Charlie said, pulling off his school shirt and replacing it with a white button up, the sleeves rolled to the elbows.

"Well, it could happen, couldn't it? I mean, they see a boy and a girl standing very, _very_ close to one another and think, 'Hey, that man might need a bouquet for his lady.' Aren't I clever?"

"Now, now, Aiden, we don't want to be getting clever now. If you do, your head might be the size of mine. And we all know what that means." Aiden stuck his tongue out at Charlie, who sighed as he headed for the door.

"Where are you off to?" Aiden asked, rolling over onto his stomach.

"I'm going to see a movie with Angela."

"Ah, so tonight won't be a total loss." Aiden said, a grin spreading across his features.

"Shut up, Aiden."

"Hey, don't take out your anger on me. It's not my fault that you weren't careful enough." Charlie slammed the door behind him.

"Play nicely children!" Aiden called.

* * *

**Well? What do you think? Eh? EH!? EXPLAIN IT TO ME NOW!  
**


	6. Not PlotSorry

Hey everyone.

So, this may sound almost hypocritical to what I have said before, but I have decided that I'm going to publish TFoM (this story) onto FictionPress (.com). For those of you who don't know what that is (and I hope you do), this is the same thing as Fanfiction (.net), but it's for normal, non-fanfic, original stories. I will see about putting a link to it up on my profile page for those who are interested (because I know that some of you still want to read it. I've gotten a fair amount of mail about it).

Anywho, this notice is only going to be up for a few days, as it's not an actual chapter. I'm going to be posting the newly re-written (meaning gone-over a few times) chapters from the beginning and Chapter six should be up soon. I'm planning on doing a half-week type thing.

Please feel free to add me to your list of people on there. Again, I shall post the page up on my Profile in case your interested.

Thank-you for your continued support.

Lots of Love,

Turn-about-the-sun


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